Improvement in machines for splitting wood



2 Sheets--Shee11.

Patianted August 26. 1873.

\mw Eases .f w 2 h 'rnn "*rA'rEs ROBERT MURRAY, OF NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR SPLITTING WOOD.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 142,116, dated August 26, 1873; application filed August 7, 1873.

- wheels, to which are pivoted head-blocks which traverse a shaft or guide-rod, one of which bears two heavy arms, knives, or cutters, and the other a bar-which engages two sliding knife blocks or cutters with feed-tables, levers, rods, ratchet-wheels, ratchet and pawls, feeding the materials to the knives and cutters, as shown by the drawings, in which- Figure l is a front elevation of a machine 'embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a plan view of the same; and Fig. 3, .a vertical transverse section of that part of the machine to the left of the upright shaft, shown in. Fig. 1. b

In these drawings it has not been deemed necessary to exhibit the driving mechanism,

.which may be geared upon either vertical shaft; nor has it been considered essential to show but one feed-table with its appliances, although in the machine each box or compartment is supplied with one.

The frame of the machine is composed of four boxes or compartments, A B G D, occupied by the material operated upon, and between them the space E, in which the driving-wheels, shafts, and gearing are situated. These boxes orcompartments, A. B O D, are each provided with a feed table, F, upon which the block or material is raised to the requisite height for cutting'by means of a ratchet,-I, working into a ratchet-bar, H, which supports the table F, and is operated by the ratchets I and J through the lever K, rod L, and the driving-pawl M, and held in place by the pawl N. Two geared cog-wheels, O O, hung upon vertical shafts, occupy the center of the machine. To. the under face of these wheels 0 O a wedge-shaped lug, P, is attached for depressing the lever Q, operating the driving-pawl M by means of rod L and ratchet J. Upon each of these wheels 0 O are pivoted what I term head-blocks R B, through which a shaft or guide-rod, S, passes, and which they traverse. To one of these headblocks I attach two heavy arms, knives, or cutters, T T; to the other I attach a bar or rod, U, which engages two sliding blocks, V V, which carry other knives or cutters.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The wood or other material being introduced at A, B, O, and D, and motion applied, one revolution of the wheels 0 0 brings the wedge-shaped lugs P upon and over the arm or lever Q, depressing it, and, raising the lever K, forces the ratchet J around far enough to raise the feed-table F with its material to the height of the required thickness of the piece I to be cut off or split; at the same time the knives, arms, or cutters T T, and the cutters or knives attached to the sliding blocks V V, are propelled backward and forward with great force, cutting or splitting the material, as desired. The strips or slivers, when out, are returned to the boxes A B or O D, and again out transversely into the required dimensions, being always out or split with the grain of the material.

The sliding blocks V V may be provided with tubular or other cutters adapted to the materials used, or the article to be manufactured. The heavy arms, knives, or cutters T T always remain at the same angle with the guiding-rod or shaft S.

I do not desire to confine myself to any particular shape of the knives, arms, or cutters used, as different kinds will be required in adaptation to the material used or shape of the cutting and splitting.

I make no claim to the mode of raising the feed-tables F F, nor the manner of fastening the cutters, arms, or knives T T upon the head-block R, as I am aware they are not new; but

What I claim as my invention is 1. The combination of the geared cogwheels 0 O with the pivoted head-blocks R R, shaft or guide-rod S, bar U, sliding knife blocks V V, and the engaged arms, knives, or cutters T T, substantially as and. for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. The combination, with the geared cogwheels 0 O, pivoted head-blocks R R, shaft or guide-rod S, bar U, sliding knife-blocks V V, and the engaged arms, knives, or cutters T T, of the feed-table F, ratchet-bar H, ratchets I and J, driving-pawl M, and holding-pawl N, levers K and Q, and the rod L, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore mentioned and set forth.

ROBERT MURRAY. Witnesses WM. H. Donn, J AS. M. J OHNS. 

